Curtain and shade hanger



March 1, 1949. H R, HODGES 2,463,271

CURTAIN AND SHADE HANGER Filed May 1'?. 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 YiINVNTOR.

HARRY R.HODGE5 BY ATToRn/EK March 1, 1949. H. R. HoDGEs 2,463,271

CURTAIN AND SHADE HANGER Filed May 1'?. 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.HARRY R. HODGES.

EQ I BY P l ATTORNEY "useful Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTQFFICE 6 Claims.

1 This invention comprehends certain new and improvements in curtain andshade hangers of that type which are adjustable to support shades vandcurtains in diierent vertical positions to enable the curtains andshades to -be bodily lowered or raised, for instance, to conform tolowering and raising of the upper sash -of the Window, or Yfor otherreasons.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hanger which may besold as a unit and installed with minimum of mechanical ability randprovide a perfectly functioning hanger irrespective of by whominstalled.

A further object of the vinvention is to provide a vhanger which atenant may apply to rented quarters and remove with minimum damage tothe window frame and with the damage confined to screw holes atinconspicuous parts of the frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a rigid bracket andshade-holding structure `for retaining the shade or shades withcertainty in -various locations of the bracket and during L operation ofthe brackets -to and from such locations.

Still further objects of the invention will ap- .pear to those skilledin the art to which it appertains both -by-direct reference thereto asthe description proceeds and by implication :from the context.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which -like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figures l and 2 are perspective views of a Awindow pane and sashes withmy invention` mounted therewith and shown in two of various possiblepositions;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the `hanger above;

`Figure '4 is a vertical section of the window 'frame showing onebracket in elevation; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of the opposite bracket.

in the specific embodiment of vthe invention Villustrated in saiddrawing, Athe reference nu- 'meral i@ designates a window frame havingthe usual sill II, side easements or risers I2 and :top vpiece or header'I3 lwhich usually are combined as Aa substantially rectangular framefor reception of the usual Yupper and lower vertically slidable sashesI4 and I5. The said sashes are of the hangers of my invention. Thus thepresence of the mounting means is as inconspicuous as possible and anymarring of the easement resulting from mounting the hanger will be whereit is the least noticeable when the hanger is removed for any reason.

Accordingly, in carrying out my invention, vI provide a pair of tracksI6 of which one track is mounted at one side of the window frame and theother track is mounted at the opposite side of the window frame and eachupon an inside face of the frame which faces the other. The tracks areshown having a length substantially the height of the upper sash andextend vertically in the upper part of the frame contiguous to saidupper sash. Said tracks preferably are formed from metallic stripshaving their longitudinal edges Il curled inward toward one another soas to form a T-slot I8 the length of the track and with the restrictedpart of the slot at the exposed face of the track and the wider part ofthe slot within said curled edges I1. posed or restricted part of theslot is at least half as wide as the T-head part of the slot and readilyadmits a screw-driver whereby screws (not shown) may be applied throughthe back Wall of the track .for mounting the said track on the windowframe. Said tracks are therefore parallel and fixed, and provide meansfor retaining vertically slidable slide members 20 at each side of thewindow. Said slide members are substantially alike, except that they arewhat may be termed rights and lefts and one is made to receive therotating pintle of a shade and the other to receive the non-rotatingpintle of the shade.

Describing the slide members more in detail, each comprises a verticalbody portion 2I approximating the width of the track so as to "have alongitudinal margin at each side which will ride in flatwise engagementagainst the front of curled edges il. Appropriate parts of said marginsof the vertical body are bent or oil-set to underlie the curled edges ofthe track, and as shown, offset portions or lugs 22 are thus provided ateach side of said body next its lower end and similar lugs 23 are shownat each side of the body part way of the length thereof so that,considered lon-- gitudinaily, the member provides alternating marginalportions in front of and behind the said curled edges of the track withthe extreme bottom of the said margins at the rear of the curled edgesof the track. A xed stop 24 is secured, as by screws 25, within thebottom end of .the track, and when the slide member is entirely lowered,the lowermost lugs engage at their vlower 3 ends against the upper endof said stop. Thus said lugs perform a plurality of functions of whichmay be enumerated the sliding retention of said member to the track, thereenforcement of the member, prevention of inadvertent or other bendingof the member outward at its lower end, and the limitation of downwarddisplacement by engagement with the stop. The lugs 23 partway up themember are adequately spaced from the lower lugs 22 to afford requisiteretentive leverage and thereby keep the member yfrom tilting withrespect to the track.

On said members, and preferably stamped from the metal constituting thesame, are bosses 25 for removable reception of commonly used rollershades 21. For that purpose, the bosses on one member have round holes28 therein for reception of the cylindrical pintle and the bosses of theother member have radial slots 28 for reception of the rectangularspring-holding pintle of the shade roller. The hanger of the present,disclosure is intended for receiving two shades, and consequently eachslide member has two bosses. More or less can be provided as desired. Inthe illustrated construction one boss is in the area between the twopairs of lugs and the other boss is in the area above the upper pair oflugs.

Each slide member provides a curtain bracket preferably as an integralpart thereof and movable therewith. As shown, the shade bracket isconstituted by an arm 29 which extends in a direction away from theWindow sash, and in the same plane with the upright body of said memberbut directed at right angles to the said body. This arm 29 is shown as alongitudinally horizontal projection in a vertical plane common theretoand to the upright body, said arm extending from th-e upper end of theupright body inwardly of the room in which the window is situated and ofadequate length that its end directed inwardly of the room will be infront of the plane of the inside trim of the window frame. At thisinward end of the arm is a further integral portion, referred to hereinas lateral offset 30, which is likewise longitudinally horizontal and ina vertical plane but at right angles to the plane of arm 29. Saidlateral offset 3U projects in a direction away from the window wherebythe outer ends of the offsets 30 of the two members are at a greaterdistance apart than their inner ends and will consequently be in frontof the trim at the sides of th-e window. From said outer end of theoffset 3i] and in the place of said offset, is a vertical portion forthe bracket, herein designated as a, riser 3l. Said riser providesappropriate studs 32, here shown as integral prongs projecting from theupper end of the riser, for the reception and support of curtain rods 33on which curtains 34, Valances and the like may be hung. Ears 35 areprovided at the base of the studs 32 bent at right angles to the face ofthe riser at the side edges of and contiguous to the upper ends of saidriser for giving strength to the studs and support to the curtain rods.

In order to `operate and hold the slide members in desired verticaladjustment, pull cords 35 are provided for application of simultaneouslifting force to each member. These cords are tied through appropriateholes 3'! in the bracket arms 29 and extend to pulleys or other suitablemeans for the purpose, located at fixed positions directly above saidholes 3l'. Likewise by preference, beyond said pulleys, the cords aretied together or merge into a single cord, so that the operatormanipulates the single cord to apply the lifting force to both memberssimultaneously It is a feature of the present invention to include themounting of the pulleys as a fixed or unitary part of the hanger so asto be in exact position and not require separate mounting thereof by theperson making the installation of the hanger to a window. As shown,therefore, I provide a xed bracket 38 at the upper end of each track,said bracket 38 preferably having a foot portion 39 which, inmanufacture, is slid into the upper end of the track marginally held bythe curled edges H thereof. An end lip 40 provided as part of the trackis bent over the upper edge of the foot portion. Screws 4I orequivalents may also be provided for securing the foot portion to thetrack if desired.

In the same plane as the foot portion 39 of the bracket is an arm @2which projects in a direction which locates its inner end within theroom or forwardly from the window frame. To accommodate this arm d2, anend portion of one curled edge Il of the track is cut away, as at 43, sothat the arm rests on the end of said curled edge as a support for saidarm. Furthermore, the lower end of the foot portion within the curlededges of the track conveniently constitutes a stop limiting upwardmovement of the slide member by engagement therewith of the upper endsofthe upper pair of lugs 23 of said member. These stops keep the slidemembers from pounding against the top piece or header of the windowframe. The forward end of each of said fixed arms is bent to form ariser 44 and further bent in the form of a rectangular loop to comprisethe housing for one or more pulleys 45, 4B as required f-or theheretofore mentioned cords. These pulleys are carried by the housingsdirectly over the movable arms and holes therein, and enable the slidemembers to be raised and held with exertion of minimum side thrust onthe tracks, which is therefore conducive to introduction -of minimumfriction and free operation. Gravity tends to slide the members downwardwhereas lifting and holding tension is supplied by the cords.

I claim:

l. A hanger as characterized, comprising a vertical track, a slidemember on said track, said slide member having a curtain bracketextending therefrom and movable therewith, a fixed bracket secured toand projecting from said track and having an extending part superposedover the extending part of the curtain bracket, and a flexibleconnection between said projecting part and extending to the superposedpart, and means on the superposed part for passing the flexibleconnection thereover for functioning as a draw cord.

2. A shade hanger comprising .a track and slide member mounted thereon,said slide inember providing a Vertical body portion juxtaposed to andextending longitudinally of the track, an arm in the plane of said bodyportion projecting laterally from said body portion, a lateral offset atthe outer end of said arm and perpendicular to said plane, a riser atthe far end of said offset in the plane thereof and extending in thegeneral direction of said body portion, a b oss on the body portion forreception of a shade roller pintle, and a stud on said riser forreception of a curtain rod.

3. A shade hanger comprising a track and slide member mounted thereon,said slide member providing a vertical body portion juxtaposed to andextending longitudinally of the track, an

arm in the plane of said body portion projecting laterally from saidbody portion, pairs of lugs offset from said body portion for sliding insaid tracks, said lugs being below said arm, means on said arm formounting a curtain rod, and means on said body portion for mounting ashade roller.

4. A shade and curtain hanger comprising tracks and slide membersmounted thereon, said slide members each providing a vertical bodyportion juxtaposed to and extending longitudinally of the track, pairsof lugs oset from said body portion for sliding in said track, stops insaid tracks for engagement by said lugs and limiting travel of saidslide members thereon, and said slide members having means forsupporting a shade and means for supporting a curtain rod.

5. A shade and curtain hanger comprising a track and slide membermounted thereon, said slide member providing a vertical body portionjuxtaposed to and extending longitudinally of the track, a shaderollersupporting means on said body portion, a curtain rod supporting meansprojecting from said body portion, and a iixed backet at the upper endof said track, said bracketl having a foot portion Within and held bysaid track.

REFERENCES CITED rThe following references areof record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 805,676 Shoo Nov. 30, 1905807,886 Vergason Dec. 19, 1905 893,537 NeWson July 14, 1908 1,071,642Kintz Aug. 26, 1913 1,343,859 Warner et al June 15, 1920

